- Watch the Unit 4 Lecture. (click here for transcripts)
- Read the following scenario.
Part 1: Setting the Scene
Recently, you ran into your neighbor, Jenny, a teacher from the local public elementary school, at the grocery store. She began telling you about an observation she made during the second week of the new school year. Jenny states, “It seems that the lunch bell has an odd effect on student behavior.” You ask, “How so?” The neighbor tells you that the work that is assigned just before the lunch hour is always completed more quickly and with more accuracy than the work in the hours leading up to this time. Jenny asks, “What do you think is responsible for this?”
- Conditioned Reinforcer: Explain how “pairing” can create conditioned reinforcers (learned reinforcers). Use the scenario in Jenny’s class to illustrate the process of pairing and to explain the contingencies responsible for the increased productivity and accuracy in Jenny’s students before the lunch bell.
- Conditioned Aversive Stimulus: Create a scenario in which a neutral stimulus was transformed into a conditioned punisher (learned aversive stimulus) through the process of pairing and provide a scenario in which the conditioned punisher (learned aversive stimulus) influences a behavior – either as a punisher or something to be escaped.
- Diagram the pairing procedure and the contingency you created (Hint: The contingency should be an escape or punishment procedure).
Part 2: Complete the Discussion Question Worksheet
Complete worksheet based on this week’s primary discussion post. Attach your finalized worksheet as part of your final primary post.
Respond to a minimum of two peers based upon the following:
- Address the escape or punishment contingency illustrated.
- Create a token economy to modify the target behavior in the scenario presented.
- Explain how tokens are transformed into generalized, conditioned reinforcers.
Reading and Resources
Read the following:
Chapter 2 in Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd edition): “Basic Concepts and Principles”
The distinction between “behavior,” “response,” and “response class” are explained and behavior functions are introduced. The effects of reinforcement and punishment on behavior are discussed and examples regarding how these two principles of behavior analysis can be applied are provided. Information regarding how complex behavior, such as verbal behavior, is addressed in applied behavior analysis, is provided.
Chapter 28 in Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd edition): “Token Economy, Group Contingencies, and Contingency Contracting”
Chapter 28 introduces the reader to contingency contracts, token economies, and group contingencies. Explanation is provided regarding how generalized conditioned reinforcers are utilized in the token economy to change behavior. The three types of group contingencies are discussed and the guidelines for implementing group contingencies are presented.
TEXTBOOKS
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., Heward, W. L. (2019) Applied Behavior Analysis.